There can be no responsibility without authority.

The authority and responsibility residing ultimately in the people must be delegated; and it must not be emasculated in the process of delegation.
If it is abused, the people should at all events be able to fix the offense and to punish the offender.

At present our administration is organized chiefly upon the principle that the executive shall not be permitted to do much good for fear that he will do harm.

It ought to be organized on the principle that he shall have full power to do either well or ill, but that if he does do ill, he will have no defense against punishment.

The principle is the same as it is in the case of legislative responsibility.